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Topic: 2017 QZ Rally - Reply Topic (Read 35641 times)

To give you an idea of just how meaningful this RVForum Framily thing is, let me share with you that I've had phone calls from Chris and Mimi Pennings requesting reports and sending well wishes to our group. Terry exchanged emails with Jim and Pat Dick who were among the original attendees in 1996 or so and they vividly recall the "Transmission hill." Jim and Tarry Johnson wished they could be here but had some body parts to fix this winter! We miss everyone and you will forever be in our Quartzsite memories. No one lost their chairs or tables this year. (That I know of)

To make our Rally MOST SPECIAL , Don and Peg Miller (who no longer have a motorhome) showed up after a 3.5 hour drive from Camp Verde, AZ with blackberry pie. Lorna Reiter lost dear husband Ned last spring but made the journey solo from Spring Branch, Texas (near San Antonio) to visit the RVForum Potluck group today. She may win the award for those coming the farthest to our gathering.

Photos:Mike Lawrence jumped in to accompany Lorna in the Framily photo. None of us are ever alone! Don and Peg are legends in love of this FVForum. Thank so much to our special visitors.

Yep this group is indeed FRAMILY, an acronym coined to combine friends and family. And to think we all met on the internet! Crazy!

Thank you to those who filled the white envelopes I passed around at Happy Hour. This Quartzsite Rally has no fee but we do set January as the time to assess the value the RVForum has been to you.

Did you get advice that saved you a service call?. Did you get advice that saved you money on a bogus thing to join? Did you get advice on a campground to attend ? Did you get advice on a route from PA to CA? Did you make a new friend? Did you attend a rally and enjoy yourself? Do you enjoy a continuing contact with RV like minded folks? Did you enjoy an off road adventure? Did you enjoy the potluck? These are things enjoyed by most with our RVForum and simply ask you consider making a contribution to the running of the RVForum, a privately owned entity.

I'm happy to report lots of white envelopes filled with green were returned. Thank you. Plus I am happy the DONATE button on the RVForum Home page line with a DONATE button was discovered so you can use pay pal or your credit card to support our RVForum!

I am among the fortunate who have been members of RVForum for a long time and really want our new guests to have the opportunity to learn as much about RV lifestyle as I have and to make as many friends! The true test of the Quartzsite experience is do you return?

I will compose a collage of 2017 Q attendees and post it in the near future. I will not include the photo of me that Lou took as I'm certain I really look 15 years younger than the photo reveals!

I'm sure it was the fault of the photographer, Betty.. My photography skills suck, which makes it a good thing I work in radio and not TV.

I had to run across the highway and dump my tanks before the dump station closed for the night, and by the time I got back most of the group had dispersed. It was good to see Lorna, even though it was only briefly.

Wonderful to see Lorna, Don and Peg looking exactly as I remember them from more than ten years ago! I need to know how they accomplish that youthful look! Count us among those who treasure memories of Quartzsite gatherings. I'm so happy the tradition continues and am especially happy to see all the new faces who will continue to discover and enjoy the hidden beauties of the desert. Quartzsite is truly a very special place! As always, I really appreciate Betty's efforts to include all of us reluctant stay-at-homes.

You are too kind! The photo was framed perfectly, the lighting just right, the focus sharp and clear and I'm still not using that photo! Besides Terry was not in the photo so we will find another photo and use it for the group collage.

We arrived back home in Yuma this afternoon and I opened the white envelopes. WOW you guys were very generous this year. It is clear the RVForum has great value to the members. In addition the DONATE button was activated with additional generous donations!

Thank you Betty, Wendy and the rest of the crew for hosting another successful Quartzsite rally!

Although I missed Friday's 4wd trip, I got my off-road fix this morning. I headed east on I-10 to the Gold Nugget Rd. exit, then instead of going south towards the Stone Cabin I followed the old paved road east through the pass.

Along the way I came across the road to the communications site at the top of the mountain and the gate was open! So I went up, it's a well maintained but very steep road that zig-zags up the mountain face. The last 1/4 mile is so steep they laid down a corrugated concrete roadbed to increase traction.

From the top I took some photos of Stone Cabin and the trails running off to the next ridge. I'll post them tonight when I have wifi at my sister's house.

After descending from the mountaintop (low gear, low range!) I continued east to the end of the old pavement. From there it became a trail that meandered through cactus and cholla to the Brenda exit. It was a fun ride, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything larger than my Bronco II. It's more of a quad trail, at the other end I met up with a quad group taking a break in a creek bed gravel bar. They seemed surprised to see me but I was able to back up a little bit and let them by.

You are too kind! The photo was framed perfectly, the lighting just right, the focus sharp and clear and I'm still not using that photo! Besides Terry was not in the photo so we will find another photo and use it for the group collage.

We would like to thank all who make this years Quartzsite Rally a great success. Pam and I had a great week, even with the temps and wind. We met some great people. And reacquainted with some from last year. It is always nice to be able to put faces to names. Betty was right when she said that we seemed to enjoy the trail ride we thought it was fantastic, Thank you Terry and Betty. We will be back next year.

Just arrived home and would like to thank Jeff, Betty, Wendy, Andra, Jerry and Terry for the work put into the rally, If I missed someone, my apologies, being our first rally not just QZ but any rally, it was great and we enjoyed meeting everyone that attended.

I finally got my pix into the computer. These were taken about 10 AM Jan 20. In the first one, a fifth wheel user had redecorated "our" saguaro. In the second one, someone had places a very nice rock sign on our firepit. The last one shows all of our group that were there at that time.

Update on generator: Got the beast in the shop this morning, and the tech said it's a bad control board, so it'll take a day or two to get it done. The genny has to come out of the coach for him to get to it, though.

Wonderful to see Lorna, Don and Peg looking exactly as I remember them from more than ten years ago! I need to know how they accomplish that youthful look! Count us among those who treasure memories of Quartzsite gatherings. I'm so happy the tradition continues and am especially happy to see all the new faces who will continue to discover and enjoy the hidden beauties of the desert. Quartzsite is truly a very special place! As always, I really appreciate Betty's efforts to include all of us reluctant stay-at-homes.

Well said, Margi!! We do miss the winter trip and especially QZ for multiple reasons.

Doreen and I want to say Thanks for a great time, As newbies we met a lot of great folks. It was our 1st rally with the motorhome we will be back next year for sure. Also thanks to Terry and Betty for our 1st rocky off road trip it was FUN FUN I'm hooked on the off roading in the desert.

This was our second RV Forum rally, and our first time at Quartzsite. We will definitely be back! We got there late, but we were able to stay until Monday morning. Just before we pulled out, we heard our daughter was being induced for her first baby, two weeks early. She was 1750 miles away, and we made it here yesterday after 3 days of travel. Yup, 1750 miles in 3 days with the travel trailer. The baby is beautiful, mom is healthy and happy, and we are tired! Such a change to be in Iowa at 10 degrees after Q. Sigh. The trailer is mostly ok in the cold, but we will be running through propane.

This was our second RV Forum rally, and our first time at Quartzsite. We will definitely be back! We got there late, but we were able to stay until Monday morning. Just before we pulled out, we heard our daughter was being induced for her first baby, two weeks early. She was 1750 miles away, and we made it here yesterday after 3 days of travel. Yup, 1750 miles in 3 days with the travel trailer. The baby is beautiful, mom is healthy and happy, and we are tired! Such a change to be in Iowa at 10 degrees after Q. Sigh. The trailer is mostly ok in the cold, but we will be running through propane.

As promised, here is a photo collage of most of the people who attended Quartzsite 2017 Rally . No names attached so you will have to figure out those in attendance by your own memory! Sorry it is so late. My Life happens to be rich and full!

My apologies for those I missed. Catch you next time!

If you recall in the past we had an RVForum group photo posed and rehearsed. We usually let our potluck food get cold while waiting to smile. This collage is a substitute for that fun we used to have when professional photographers were in attendance!